


How Not To Come Out To Your High School

by Monopoly



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Homophobic Language, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-28
Updated: 2014-10-28
Packaged: 2018-02-23 00:04:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2526578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Monopoly/pseuds/Monopoly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark was happy with his two friends, staying under the radar and not making too many enemies (as hey he did have a big mouth) until he intervenes with a fight between newly-outed quarterback Steve Rogers and two others on the football team. After an accidental unveiling of his sexual choices in the previous year when he and Bucky had been found in a closet... together. This is how Tony met Steve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Not To Come Out To Your High School

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my very first story to be posted online of his fandom, I hope it's alright as I haven't written anything properly in well over a year. So I hope you enjoy.

1.

Tony Stark was an asshole, he’d been told many a time by many different people but he supposed it hurt most as his best friend stormed from his house trying to hide tears; tears which he would never admit to seeing. He hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings but it had all happened so fast; the incident had occurred after they were sitting on his bed together and she had leant over to show him her book, their heads had gotten particularly close, upon noticing this she had then lifted her head and they stared at each other. There was a moment of silence in which Tony had felt uncomfortable. And then suddenly she was coming towards him with her eyes closed and all he could do was kiss her back, upon breaking apart she had stared at him waiting for him to say something. Of course, his burst of laughter and a loud, “what the hell was that?” Was not the best response.

Twenty apology messages through every social media were sent, and she had ignored each one. He was considering going around to her house and apologising but he wasn’t quite sure how to approach this situation. Personally he had known he was gay since he was thirteen when he was flipping through Pepper’s girly magazine and enjoying the shirtless Ryan Gosling photos far too much and especially when Rhodey discovered girls and would point out the hot ones on the street, Tony would nod and smile never really getting it. He had understood this was not a high school topic and he barely flew under the radar of the cool kids as it was. Natasha Romanov had given him far too many of her terrifying glares to make anyone feel safe, but he had survived; and so no one knew he was gay and no one would until post-high school. Well Rhodey knew but it was only after an accidental drunken confession after his father had been particularly brutal upon him.

School began in under a week and so he would confront her then, hopefully with a gift of some kind and a huge apology. Since his last week was empty he busied himself in his room with him electronics set, building something new and better than his last failure of a project. He went out twice with Rhodey, once to the cinema as they weren’t the type to get invited to parties or to hang around town on street corners. Rhodey was a straight A student alongside himself and Pepper and was going to get a scholarship to some fancy college, he didn’t have time to have a raging social life. Tony used that excuse also, but it was a lie as he was aware it was his actual personality kept people away.

Monday morning was hell, his alarm blaring at the ungodly hour of seven and his stomach filled with dread at the thought of having to confront Pepper, he had missed her greatly and he hoped he could rectify that; the only issue was Pepper had an ego, not quite as big as Tony’s but large enough to warrant an acknowledgement. He dressed slowly and made his own breakfast as both his mom and deadbeat dad was still asleep, his mom had been working the late shift at the diner and he didn’t want to wake her so he stuck to cereal. Rhodey was waiting for him outside to walk to school with him when he locked up his house, he was aware Pepper was annoyed at Tony but not why.

“Are you looking forward to your final year of hell Stark?” It was a question which simultaneously filled Tony with relief and dread, he was so close to leaving and getting out of this awful town, but to do that he had to suffer through another year of Neanderthals and just generally stupid people whose lives would rapidly go downhill upon leaving high school, although they didn’t know that and so were happy to make most other people’s lives miserable.

“God, I’ve waited three years for that beautiful sentence my friend.” He mock punched Rhodey in the arm and they both laughed and talked about how enjoyable it would be to finally rule the school, although only figuratively and in terms of age. Mostly they wouldn’t be able to be pushed about by anyone older than them as they were now the oldest.

“It’ll be nice to see some of the guys again,” Rhodey was on the lacrosse team and so had made a wider group of friends than he, although lacrosse was not quite cool on the sport-o-meter it was still a sport and so this meant he was allowed to wear a letterman jacket which he looked smug in whenever he wore it and it drove Tony crazy. They began conversation about other people who they mutually knew, catching up on any gossip they had heard about new relationships or old ones breaking down when Rhodey gasped, “I can’t believe I forgot… man.” Tony raised his eyebrows in a ‘carry on’ manner. “Remember end of last year when Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers were found… you know…”

Tony flinched, he quite well remembered. Bucky Barnes was a senior who played line-backer on the football team, he was popular and mean as hell, well not that Tony had ever been victimised himself by him but he’d seen Barnes and Rogers fighting outside and inside of school, although usually it was the mouthy kids, the only ones who’d say anything to them anyway. And Steve Rogers the all American quarterback, six foot three of blonde haired blue eyed gorgeousness. The two of them had always been seen together, the best of friends… well that’s what everyone had assumed.

Until a week before the end of school Barnes and Rogers had been found making out beneath the bleachers, it had spread around the school like wildfire; needless to say neither boy had turned up to school for the final week.

“Wonder what Rogers will do this year,” Tony let the subject drop quickly, well aware of the bullying Rogers would now face and what Tony would face if anything like that happened to him. Of course it wouldn’t in them exact circumstances, not to a five foot seven science nerd.

The two walked in silence until reaching the entrance in which Rhodey gestured wildly, “welcome to the gates of hell!” towards the Thomas Jefferson High School sign in an attempt to amuse him, which it did and he smirked slightly before heading down the hall to his homeroom class, “I’ll see you later nerd!” Rhodey called down the hallway.

He spotted Pepper straight away but flinched when he realised she had already sat down next to someone else, the seats being permanent thus meaning they wouldn’t be able to talk before lessons. He sighed slipping into one of the empty seats in the middle of the room, he was thankful of his position really; anyone who came in was recipient of his glare and so avoided the chair next to him. All bar one, who had followed in the teacher and they had sat him there purposely.  
The boy was scrawny with glasses and a superhero t-shirt on and a worn bag, although the high school was big he was sure he’d never seen this boy before.  
“Welcome class to your senior year…” the teacher stood and he began to zone out, “this is our new student Bruce, everyone say hi to Bruce,” the class stayed uncomfortably silent and the boy turned even redder than he had upon first being pointed out. “Stark, you share a few of his lessons I’m sure, show him around.” And then she went back to announcements and handing out timetables which allowed the students to begin talking amongst themselves.

He analysed the boy once more before sighing and leaning over, “nice to meet you I’m Tony,” he would had offered his hand but far too many people had ignored him or given him a dirty look so he refrained.

“O… oh yeah, nice to meet you… I’m Bruce,” he smiled nervously and ran his hand through tight curls. They both fell silent as the teacher moved between them handing out the sheets of paper which would dictate their live for the next year, he sighed with relief upon seeing AP chemistry, while the least favourite of the sciences he was glad he had saved it to this year. It was nestled amongst things much less pleasant such as gym and woodwork.

“Can I see your timetable?” Bruce handed over the slip and he compared quickly, they both shared AP Chemistry and AP Algebra, there were two other subjects but their teacher had clearly overestimated how many lessons they actually shared. He showed Bruce where they would be in the same lessons and offered to save him a seat which Bruce smiled and thanked him excessively for it.

Tony realised it would be polite to speak more but kept waiting for a fellow classmate to butt in and amalgamate him into their group but no one seemed to do it and so tenderly he leant over once more, “how come you moved?”

“What?” Bruce looked shocked and slipped his timetable into his pocket, “oh schools? I’ve just moved to live with my dad, and I was in the catchment area for this school… and it was closer and he didn’t want to have to drop me off” He shrugged and coloured at the personal reveal, he clearly had not meant to expose himself that much. Tony nodded unable to think of anything else to say; thankfully the bell went making them both jump. Pepper was suddenly gone from the room and he grumbled to himself, the feeling of guilt overwhelming.

“We have Chemistry now, it’s in one of the newer classrooms so there are better facilities and we will have access to it now whenever as long as we have Doherty’s permission as he’s real casual about that kind of thing…” Tony was interrupted by an excited sounding Bruce.

“Whenever?” The echoing of Tony’s words was much more eager.

“Are you into Chemistry?” There was a flicker of hope inside him as they began to navigate themselves through crowded hallways towards the science corridor, dodging bags and seniors whose new sense of entitlement was now overwhelming they refused to move out of the way, even for other seniors.

“Well, not exclusively, I love all science. But Physics is a particular favourite of mine,” Bruce continued on an outburst of what he loved about physics but Tony could barely contain his grin, finally someone who enjoyed science as much as he did. Of course personally he leant towards electronics and coding, but people understood that even less than science. They arrived in Chemistry talking rapidly over one another about the latest advancements in technology and other in-depth awesome science facts.

Tony had never enjoyed a lesson as much as he had Chemistry, as it was only an introduction and to make the subject seem cool, they were shown an experiment of copper and nitric acid, then once sheet work was completed for both of them within ten minutes the rest of the lesson consisted of them bonding over their love of science. Sadly they had to part for the next two lessons but as he walked Bruce to his lesson they exchanged phone numbers and promised to meet up for lunch, which thankfully they both shared. Tony was bored then, and began to code for a new program he was developing. His phone vibrated after his lesson and he found he was disappointed to read that it was Rhodey’s message, although not that it was even though it was him apologising and explaining he was bailing on his to go get lunch with the ‘team’, (Tony could barely contain his roll of eyes) but that it wasn't Bruce.

He text Bruce a quick ‘where are you’ before heading towards the food, grabbing a burger and water had turned around to find an empty table, thankful the freshman had clumped together in fear and not yet spread out into new friendship groups he was easily able to find an empty table, it was for five people but he knew no one would join his group of friends. Pepper was nowhere to be seen and he had left texts during the two previous hours, honestly now he was getting a little pissed off.

God he was gay, it wasn’t a personal insult to her he just preferred his interests a little more male.

It was then he noticed a lone figure sitting a table away, although his shoulders were hunched forward and one hand attempted to cover his face he knew that blonde hair anywhere, Steve Rogers was sitting alone, he probably had never done that in the whole of his school life. Although Tony did feel a little pity for him as he flinched as anyone walked past him, Steve Rogers was well and truly yanked from the closet and must have been such an awful feeling to have. Of course it was hardly fair when the other partner in his deed had gone off to college to leave him to face the idiots alone.

Bruce appeared then grinning widely and with a pasta bake and brownie he was willing to share and they continued their conversation about AI they had only touched on previously, all thoughts of Steve Rogers forgotten and his introduction to a beautiful friendship with Bruce was blossoming. He spied Pepper getting her lunch and scanning the room, she then made her way towards Happy Hogan and his group of loud friends, Tony liked Happy, not so much his loud-mouthed friends. She hadn’t even looked towards him.

High school fell into a pattern of comfortable regularity, Tony would walk to school with Rhodey before parting for homeroom where he would sit next to Bruce and catch up on whatever the other had done the night previous or any high school gossip. Tony had made several attempts to catch Pepper at her locker or outside of school each time she had given him a glare and a short ‘I’d rather not now Tony’ and he was close to giving up and letting her crawl back to him when she grew tired of sitting with the homecoming committee and school council or whoever she could find to fit with that day. The strangest development was the friendship between her and Natasha Romanov; both were both on the yearbook committee and began to sit together at lunch. Natasha and her boyfriend Clint Barton were both on some kind of sports teams, and seemed quite terrifying if he was being honest, he didn’t even want to know what dirt they could get on him if they tried for that stupid yearbook. Natasha looked the sneaky kind.

Of course the quietness of the year was merely the crescendo and it was bound to change, which it did one Wednesday afternoon. The three boys were sitting together chatting idly about something meaningless, it was the weather which Tony remembered in strange clarity when suddenly there was a loud bang to his right and nearly everyone fell silent in the cafeteria. Steve Rogers who had taken to remaining elusive around the school and Tony hardly ever saw him, not that he was even looking for him of course, was that day sitting in the cafeteria this time with one of his old cheerleading friends. Brown curls and eyes that matched with unmistakable red lipstick meant Peggy Carter had forced him to sit with her for lunch, Peggy had been part of Steve’s old friendship group before they had either graduated or turned against him. The noise was from one of the footballers ( Tony had noticed Rogers wasn’t wearing his letterman jacket and had assumedly given up on the sport) previously one of Roger’s friends James Falsworth and he was certainly tall, he flinched when the footballer spoke.

“We don’t want your likes here, not in this town Rogers.”

“I’m sorry but I don’t want your small-mindedness in this town either,” Tony called out, well okay he didn’t and would never in a million years but he desperately wanted to, so badly his chest filled with an ugly rage.

Rogers didn’t move.

“Didn’t you hear me… fag,” the insult was much like the copper reacting to the nitric acid which he had witnessed at the beginning of the year in chemistry, slowly the anger began to grown inside Rogers and as it grew so he did, standing up he kicked his chair away, his face had turned an ugly blotchy red colour. Peggy stood too then going to grab onto Steve’s arm in an attempt to calm him.

“Don’t. You. Ever. Call. Me. That. Again.” Each word was punctuated angrily, there was only one step taken towards Falsworth when suddenly two other boys had grabbed Rogers by either arm and Falsworth was punching Rogers again, and again as he struggled desperately to get free. The crowd was wild, the exploits of the QB had clearly spread and the town was certainly not liberal. Tony knew these small-minded idiots had voted Romney in the last election.

Reflecting back upon those moments he clearly didn’t know what the hell he was doing as he moved towards the fight, it was as if he was compelled towards Rogers, he had to save him. As he so dearly hoped someone would save him if he was ever in this position.

“Stop it!” He yelled as loudly as he could, although that was all he was able say as a fist came swinging into his face and he was immediately out cold, this was apparently when teachers appeared when his glasses are sprawled upon the floor as was he.

He woke up on a hard nurse office bed, the sound of paper crinkling underneath him and had given him an even worse headache than he already had obtained thanks to Neanderthal fists, god they were tough, although he supposed they had to be with they being dragged upon the floor all the time and all. Gingerly he sat up and touched the area around his eye which made him hiss in displeasure. On the opposite side of the room was a gangly-looking blonde with half of his legs hanging off the end of the small bed, he had an ice pack across his face and was unmoving.

“Hey… are you alright?” Although Rogers was no longer one of them it still felt strange speaking to him, and not even mentioning the small crush he had on him since junior year. Although the reaction was not what he expected, Rogers jumped and sat up quickly pulling the ice pack from his face to reveal steadily blossoming black eyes, and a lip split looking large and painful. But what really fucking got Tony was the tear-stained face, large tears stayed unshed in brimming blue eyes.

“Thank you.” The words were blurted out without grace and he winced as he spoke and pressed another ice pack against his bloody lips. “For… stopping them… thank you,” the second time was quieter and more gentle in an attempt to put across his sincerity. Tony now shrugged feeling abashed, something he didn’t normally feel.

“I’m Steve by the way, Steve Rogers,” he looked as if he would offer his hand to shake as it was the polite American way but as he went to stand he winced and his hand pressing against his stomach, another place they had gotten him.

“Tony Stark… but you probably already know that,” he waved his hand dismissively and then Steve smiled and nodded.

“Yeah… I do.”


End file.
